The invention relates in general to macro photography and in particular to creating high resolution, three-dimensional, macro photographic digital images.
Disease vectors, for example, mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, etc., transmit debilitating diseases. Accurate identification of these disease vectors in the field by lay people has always been a problem. Detailed, high resolution images of these small disease vectors, labeled with the name of the disease vector, would be very helpful for those in the field as in aid in identifying the disease vectors. Such images may be formatted for display on, for example, mobile devices such as, for example, smart phones. In a military setting, the images may be stored on or transmitted to mobile devices carried by deployed soldiers.
In addition, a portable macro photographic device for creating the detailed, high resolution images in the field would be very helpful. Images created by the macro photographic device may be transmitted over long distances to a multitude of clients using modern telecommunication techniques.
Even with modern optics, the very shallow depth of field available for these tiny organisms results in macro photographs that are mostly out of focus. One way to create better macro images of a small specimen is to take a series or stack of photos of the specimen along the static line of focus of a camera, with each photo having an overlapping focus depth with the next photo in the stack. The series or stack of photos may be used as inputs for any one of several commercially available photo stitching computer programs. The computer programs extract the in-focus areas from each photo and stitch the extracted in-focus areas together to create a single fully focused image.
Photographic apparatus and software for automatically creating a single focus stacked image from a series of photos are available from, for example, Syncroscopy USA, 5108 Pegasus Court, Suite M, Frederick, Md. 21704, USA (www.syncroscopy.com) or Four Chambers Studio, LLC, Vallejo, Calif., USA (GIGAmacro products) (www.gigamacro.com). Other focus stacking software includes Zerene Stacker and Helicon Focus.
Apparatus for automatically and accurately moving a camera to create a stack of images are known and include, for example, the StackShot automated macro rail produced by Cognisys Inc., 6900 Jackson Pine Drive, Kingsley Mich. 49649 (www.cognisys-inc.com); and the GIGAmacro Professional Imaging System produced by Four Chambers Studio, LLC, Vallejo, Calif., USA. United States Patent Application Publication US 2011/0123188 published on May 26, 2011 in the name of Cardwell et al. and entitled “Motor Controlled Macro Rail for Close-Up Focus-Stacking Photography” discloses an automated macro rail that is the same as or similar to Cognisys's StackShot macro rail. United States Patent Application Publication US 2011/0123188 is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The known apparatus move the camera. The camera may be relatively massive and, accordingly, the movement mechanisms for the camera must possess the requisite power and strength. In addition, moving the relatively massive camera creates problems related to stability, vibration, backlash, etc. that may negatively affect image quality.
The known apparatus suitable for focus stacked images are generally not suitable for capturing images of the entire surface area of a specimen. An apparatus for capturing the entire surface area of a specimen is disclosed in, for example, United States Patent Application Publication US 2011/0069880 published on Mar. 24, 2011 in the name of Sergieiev and entitled “Three-Dimensional Photographic System and a Method of Creating and Publishing 3D Digital Images of an Object.” Sergieiev's device is not suitable for focus stacked macro photography because, for example, the camera is a fixed distance from the specimen.
A long-felt and unsolved need exists for a macro photographic apparatus for capturing focus stacked images of the entire surface area of a specimen.